Michael Landon never thought his Bonanza role would make him famous

Landon embraced the fame, even though it was unexpected.

August 1, 2024, 11:20AM By MeTV Staff

The Everett Collection

Michael Landon, known for his role as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza (1959), said he never thought that 350 million people around the world would know his name.

The actor, who struggled to make a name for himself originally, suddenly gained fans from all over the world. He eventually became well-known and beloved by everyone who had the chance to watch him on the small screen. Now, that's something to tip your cowboy hat to.

However, according to a 1967 interview with The Idaho Statesman, Landon said Bonanza provided him with an unexpected level of fame. In fact, he thought he would have achieved fame as a USC college athlete rather than as an actor.

"I once thought I'd achieve some amount of fame throwing the javelin," Landon said. "But I didn't think people would stop me on the street and say, 'I watch you throw javelin all the time.' Besides, it's hard to get a sponsor for javelin throwing."

It wasn't just Americans who loved the Western series, it was millions around the globe. According to the interview, in the summer of 1966, Landon's fame led to him receiving fan mail from 64 of the 70 countries where Bonanza aired.

"Fans write to me in the language of their country," Landon said. "They think I understand them because our shows are dubbed in various languages. I can say 'I don't speak your language' in German and in Swedish. As soon as I learn how to say it in Japanese, I'll go there, too."

Landon said some of these languages included: Chinese, Japanese, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Italian. Other countries would use subtitles instead of dubbing.

"I saw one episode in Spanish," Landon added. "I liked it better than English."

At the time of this interview, Landon had only visited Alaska, Hawaii and Sweden. He said he had big dreams of traveling to other countries, but his fame made it hard for him to do what he wanted. He said fans could make sightseeing and relaxing almost impossible to do.

However, Landon didn't mind. He embraced the fame, even though it was unexpected.

"Fame was never part of the attraction, even before I became famous," Landon said. "It still isn't. I like being an actor because it's the kind of work I enjoy. I'm very lucky to have the opportunity to act."